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Over the last few years, IÉSEG has adopted a strong interdisciplinary approach to sustainability teaching, as demonstrated by the increasing number of mandatory and elective courses dedicated to sustainability in all our programs. This has resulted in 19 mandatory ECTS and 66 electives dedicated to environmental and social impact in the Grande École Program. Beyond the number of courses, a special attention is paid to the quality and relevance of content.   

Companies, public sector and non-profits require new skills and approaches in order to develop credible solutions to pressing environmental challenges. For graduates, becoming a changemaker means bringing a strong sustainability management toolbox and mindset, from both a technical social and environmental perspective as well as bringing interdisciplinarity and business leadership competences.  

Our role at IÉSEG is to anticipate these needs and adapt our programs and course contents, to train changemakers who can bring tangible positive impact.  

Therefore, as part of the objectives set in its 2022-2027 strategic plan, as well as in its #Transition2026 initiative*, the School has updated and further strengthened the environmental and social content of its mandatory core courses of its Grande École Program dedicated to sustainability. The main changes are, in the Bachelor cycle: the update of the Orientation Week (1 ECTS) to include hands-on volunteering (since 2023), Climate Fresk (since 2021) and leading a group project on the Sustainable Development Goals (since 2022).

A new course entitled ‘Environmental and Energy Economics’ (2 ECTS), has been created. It helps students understand the relationships between environmental protection, energy dependence, economic development and social welfare improvement. In this course, they explore the strengths and limitations of different environmental policy approaches (eg: carbon taxing, developing renewable energy, post-growth questions). The course entitled ‘Sustainability and Business’ (2 ECTS) has been updated to provide more depth into scientific knowledge on the biosphere, including planetary boundaries, climate change, biodiversity. For instance, students discover the role of ecosystem services for our economies, or the mitigation and adaptation strategies which companies need to adopt in the face of climate change. It also covers environmental regulation in the EU.  

As for the Master cycle, to reflect the knowledge and skills already acquired by students at Bachelor level, the mandatory course “Change Management for Sustainability Strategies” (4 ECTS) now goes a step further (since september 2023). It covers environmental management skills such as carbon footprint, SBTI targets, biodiversity protection at company level, impact measurement. Students also acquire a change-management toolbox and demonstrate these skills through a Harvard-Business simulation and a comprehensive change-management proposal. This helps them to drive a transformation of business models within a company.  

Moreover, all Grande École Program Master’s cycle students now take ‘TASK by Sulitest’. This Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge is the first international certificate of sustainability knowledge and is a requirement to pass the course.  

This thorough review to redesign the curriculum of IESEG’s Grande École Program integrates the European sustainability competence frameworks established by the European Union (GreenComp), one of the policy actions set out in the European Green Deal as a catalyst to promote learning on environmental sustainability. It also covers both the framework established by the Conference of the Deans of French Schools of Management (CDEFM) and the reference framework of the report led by Jean JOUZEL for the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research: “Raising Awareness and Training for the Challenges of the Ecological Transition in Higher Education”. 

This process implied the strong collaboration and involvement of many administrative and academic teams: the Social and Environmental Impact Department, professors from the ‘Management and Society’ Department, researchers from ICOR, IÉSEG Excellence Center for Organizational Responsibility, many course and program coordinators and the School’s academic committee… Most importantly, it also took into account the results of many discussions with the School’s stakeholders like students, alumni and partner companies.  

For Maria CASTILLO, Social and Environmental Impact Director at IÉSEG, “the redesign of our core sustainability courses is the first step of a larger process which includes a revision and redesign of content in all courses and programs, among with the Bachelor in International Business and all our Specialized Masters. This process is supported by our #Transition2026 initiative, and its mandatory 18-month training for all staff and professors of the School, that started in January 2023. IÉSEG strategy is to teach sustainability in a transversal and interdisciplinarity way, whatever their area of specialization and their future position. ” 

* Launched in February 2023, the #Transition2026 Initiative seeks to ensure that students, staff and professors are all equipped with the required skills, knowledge, competences and passion to address the most pressing global challenges today. Furthermore, IÉSEG believes that sustainability learning goes beyond the classroom and is not exclusive to its students. Through this new strategy, IÉSEG develops learning opportunities in and beyond classroom walls for all its stakeholders, and seeks to champion Sustainability through its operations. Sustainability is thus integrated in a systemic and holistic manner through all the activities of the School.